Over the past several months, the popularity of Hearing Protection Act (HPA) has propelled it to the forefront of firearms related advocacy. However, a certain amount of confusion regarding expectations for the legislation has followed. As the Board of the American Suppressor Association (ASA), we are collectively and continually leading the charge to pass pro-suppressor reform on both the State and the Federal levels. Therefore, we take this opportunity to give you, the public, a factual review of the Hearing Protection Act, and the State level advocacy that is currently in motion.

Allow us to start by explaining the makeup of our association. The ASA’s Board of Directors is comprised of thirteen members. We are owners or executives from five suppressor manufacturers, four major firearm and suppressor distributors, an advisory firm, a law firm, and an advertising agency. We also represent an additional 20+ suppressor related companies, more than 100 suppressor dealers, and over 1,000 individual members. Although we are competitors, we work together through the ASA to create a unified pro-suppressor voice that represents us all. We have two full time employees, President and Executive Director Knox Williams, and Director of Outreach Owen Miller, as well as a contract lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and a contract lobbyist in California. Together, we have hundreds of years of industry and lobbying experience.

We are not a large organization, but we are effective because we are the country’s leading subject matter experts on suppressors and suppressor related advocacy. We work hand in hand with larger groups like the National Rifle Association, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation to achieve our goals. We have helped draft State and Federal legislation, including the Hearing Protection Act, hosted countless suppressor demonstrations for legislators, and have actively lobbied in dozens of states, as well as in Washington, D.C. Our track record speaks for itself: through our No State Left Behind campaign, we have had a direct role in the legalization of suppressors in three states, and the legalization of suppressor hunting in eighteen states. To this end, we will not stop fighting until suppressors are legal to own and use while hunting in all fifty states. No other group or organization has dedicated more time and resources to pro-suppressor advocacy. We truly are an organization of, by, and for the suppressor community.

We at the American Suppressor Association are very optimistic about the prospect of the Hearing Protection Act becoming law. However, we would like to make something unequivocally clear: we do not expect the Hearing Protection Act to pass quickly. While we are optimistic, we have never claimed that the process will be quick or easy, or that it would happen within the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Unfortunately, legislation moves at a near glacial pace, meaning that the process will take longer than any of us would like. That said, we are doing everything in our collective power to turn the HPA into reality as quickly as possible.

The Hearing Protection Act isn’t about us though; it’s about you, the consumer. It’s about giving the next generation of hunters and recreational shooters access to a safety tool that most of us didn’t grow up with. It’s about making sure that we are the last generation to be plagued by unnecessary hearing loss simply because we exercise our Second Amendment rights, or because we want to be able to hear our surroundings while hunting in the field. It’s about making our duty, our passion, our inalienable right to keep and bear arms safer for everyone.

There are many who wish to divide us, including those who want to see us fail. In response, we say this: we are the companies that have put our money where our mouth is. We have invested our time, our money, and the resources of our companies to advance the Hearing Protection Act, as well as the State-level reform that we seek. We are not free riders, we are leaders. We stand united as the American Suppressor Association, and we implore you to stand with us. Our door is always open to you. If we all work together, this is a fight we will certainly win.

As an individual, you too can do your part to help this legislation pass. Visit our website at www.HearingProtectionAct.com to encourage your legislators to support the HPA. It takes less than a minute to make your voice heard.

We leave you with this charge: be the change that you wish to see. United we stand.

SilencerCo LLC is a proud supporter of the American Suppressor Association. For more information or to read this blog article originally written on their website, please visit www.americansuppressorassociation.com